Alliance Flooring group names 'retailers of the year'

[ATLANTA] Alliance Flooring, parent company of retail groups CarpetsPlus Color Tile, Carpetland Color Tile and Floorco, recently named retailers of the year for each of its divisions.

First up, the CarpetsPlus Color Tile division honored Gary and Nancy Case of Carpet Collection Color Tile in Lockport, N.Y.The retailer attributed its growth and success this past year, in part, to a change in location. (The company moved in the spring of 2004, renovating a former lumberyard and home center into a new showroom.) In addition, the Cases put a greater emphasis on hard surface stock and sampling, continuous sales and support training and education, as well as its ongoing partnership with CarpetsPlus Color Tile.

Next up, Duke Karns and his staff at Carpetland USA in Lafayette, Ind., earned the Carpetland Color Tile dealer of the year honor. The company renovated its 12,000-square-foot showroom last year, showcasing rugs and all hard surfaces while maintaining an emphasis on in-house stock. "Our staff worked very hard last year and was excited to hear the news,bCrLf said Karns, who has been a Carpetland USA owner for three decades. "They carried that enthusiasm right into our private sale the following day, producing one of our best sales ever.bCrLf

Then there's David Gaspard, owner of two Floorco to-the-trade stores, who was honored by that division. In just two years, Gaspard — often referred to as the group's founding father -- and his staff have outpaced all projections. They have also been instrumental in helping the national growth of the division. "When the Floorco concept was introduced, I knew this was the direction I wanted to take with my floor covering business,bCrLf Gaspard said. "My staff worked hard to help me create two successful wholesale floor covering stores, and I look forward to opening more stores and a continued profitable association with CarpetsPlus Color Tile.bCrLf

Operation Association

During its annual convention earlier this spring, Alliance Flooring used the occasion to showcase its three divisions. Under the theme "Operation Association,bCrLf the group's management emphasized how it's consolidating all three retail concepts into one concise package, according to Ron Dunn, co-president and co-CEO. (The group represents more than 450 retail dealers across the U.S.)

Operation Association also focused on enhancing relationships and increasing sales with the group's core supplier partners. According to Jon Logue, co-president and co-CEO, the Color Tile private-label and co-branded merchandising systems launched in 2003 contributed to the company enjoying a significant increase in hard surface sales across the board. "On a same-store basis, CarpetsPlus Color Tile, Carpetland Color Tile and Floorco increased hard surface sales in the program by 34 percent in 2004,bCrLf Logue said. "By implementing the concepts of Operation Association, we expect to exceed that percentage in 2005.bCrLf